Updated 11:32 AM; Today 11:32 AM By Trisha Powell Crain Coronavirus cases are on the rise in Alabama’s K-12 schools, and for the second week in a row, that number jumped by a lot. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health dashboard, a total of 2,261 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in 125 school districts…
Category: Accountability
Schools are closing for millions of kids as teachers get sick and COVID cases surge. Some districts are holding out.
Erin RichardsElinor AspegrenUSA TODAY November 20, 2020 The dominos are beginning to fall at America’s schools. After weeks or months of operating in person, schools are shifting students back to remote learning as the nation grapples with soaring COVID-19 infections. Starting Monday, millions more students will be connected to their teachers only by whatever internet or phone connection…
Vestavia Hills Board of Education approves hazard pay for employees
By WBRC Staff| November 17, 2020 at 8:00 AM CST – Updated November 17 at 8:00 AM VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. (WBRC) – The Vestavia Hills Schools Board of Education has approved a $400 one-time hazard pay for employees. There are about 898 employees eligible. We’re told employees will receive it around mid-December. The approval came during…
Alabama’s K-12 schools report a 50.7% increase in COVID-19 cases over last week
by Brad Gunther, Friday, November 13th 2020 Students walk with masks in a school hallway during the COVID-19 pandemic (SBG San Antonio) MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WBMA) — Alabama’s K-12 school systems are reporting a 50.7% increase in new COVID-19 cases since last Friday. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health K-12 COVID Dashboard, school systems statewide saw…
More than 50 quarantined after COVID-19 outbreak at the Alabama State Department of Education
Updated Nov 13, 2020; Posted Nov 12, 2020 By Amy Yurkanin | More than 50 employees at the Alabama State Department of Education have been placed on quarantine in the last two weeks due to coronavirus, said State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey at a Thursday board meeting. Mackey said a number of employees in one section…
School enrollment dropping in Alabama
By WSFA Staff| November 15, 2020 at 11:41 AM CST – Updated November 15 at 5:41 PM MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Alabama Superintendent of education Eric Mackey says the state is dealing with a historic drop in student enrollment. Leaders are now trying to account for more than 5,000 students who didn’t show up for in person…
NYC Schools chancellor sends memo to prepare for period of ‘fully remote learning’
BY LAUREN VELLA – 11/13/20 © Getty Images New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza on Friday sent an email to principals to prepare for all classes temporarily shifting to fully remote learning amid a rise in coronavirus cases. “Out of an abundance of caution, and to keep our school communities safe, I am asking all schools…
What public education advocates want to see in Biden’s pick to succeed Betsy DeVos
By Valerie Strauss November 8, 2020 Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is on her way out of office now that Joe Biden has defeated President Trump, and the education world is eager to see who her successor will be. Whoever it is, Biden has said that the new education secretary will be on a mission to undo…
K-12 Trends and the Future of Higher Education
What happens in K-12 schools eventually reshapes higher education. Steven Mintz November 9, 2020 What happens in K-12 schools rarely stays in K-12. You don’t need a long memory to recall that higher ed’s preoccupation with accountability, collaborative learning, learning outcomes, and workforce preparation actually originated in K-12. If you want to glimpse the post-pandemic future…
Montgomery teachers call in sick to protest conditions as students return
Updated Oct 14, 2020; Posted Oct 14, 2020 By Sarah Whites-Koditschek A group of Montgomery teachers are taking sick days in protest of the district’s in-person reopening this week. “It’s not safe,” said Tynisa Williams, a teacher at Brewbaker Middle School who is protesting the district’s re-opening by staying home. “We were not given a plan for…
Standing Strong for Public Education! 